Childcare teacher jailed for burning maid with iron

With most families being dual-income-with-kids, outsourcing home cleaning and home economics to domestic helpers is almost a way of life for Singaporeans. Come in and discuss issues pertaining to maids and home management.

WHEN her maid took her time ironing some school uniforms, a kindergarten teacher Rajeswari Mariswaran took the iron, pulled the Filipina's T-shirt up over her back and placed the hot iron on her skin.

On Monday, the 39-year-old was sentenced to nine months in jail for causing hurt by dangerous means. She was also ordered to pay the maid $3,000 in compensation or serve an additional three weeks behind bars. The mother of three, who had been found guilty on June 30, is appealing against conviction and sentence.

During the 12-day trial last year, the court heard that Rajeswari lost her cool while watching her maid, Ms Lunicia Banaba Apilit, 33, iron her three sons' uniforms at her home in Bukit Batok Central on the morning of November 2008. She scolded her for being slow, then told her that she would show her how to iron fast.

Ms Apilit jerked forward in shock after her employer burned her back with the iron. Rajeswari tried to do it again but the maid put out her right arm and suffered a burn to her forearm instead.

Despite the pain the maid was in, she was told to prepare food for lunch. Ms Apilit, who had been working with the family for a year, suffered in silence for five days. She then ran away and sought help from the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics at Lucky Plaza.

Its staff took her to the Manpower Ministry and the police. She also received outpatient treatment at a clinic. Photographs tendered at the trial show a bright-red iron-shaped welt on the maid's lower back.

Ya, today's papers had this article about this Customs staff who exchanged driver's cashcards for $0 value ones, so as to steal their loaded cashcards. In mitigation, his lawyer said he had depression due to stress and pressure of his job.

The judge remarked something like he has not known anyone who doesn't experience some kind of stress in his job, so it is not an excuse, and he didn't accept his plea.

I think we need to learn to control ourselves even under stress. Otherwise it's very scary to think that our kids are at the mercy of teachers who are all too stressed and might just do something to hurt them.